Video: Martin Gray admits his side carried little threat on the way to a fourth straight defeat

Manager Martin Gray admitted his side lacked genuine threat in the final third of the pitch following a fourth successive defeat to FC United of Manchester.

Their latest single-goal reversal at Broadhurst Park all but guarantees both teams will once again be competing in National League North next season – a sorry indication of just how far his own club has fallen over the past three years.

Both Chorley and Spennymoor Town picked up draws elsewhere against fellow play-off outfits Stockport County and Kidderminster Harriers, although the vast majority of York followers have understandably already given up on maintaining that level of ambition.

“I thought the performance first-half was reasonably alright and quite good,” Gray told BBC Radio York. “We used the ball well and the formation worked well. Josh Law and Simon Heslop were both good on the ball and made good decisions. But we just never had any real threat in the final third.

“I’ve just sensed since Jon’s [Parkin] come out and the forwards that have come in have had injuries – and it’s not an excuse, I won’t have that – we haven’t been able to back it up.

“Everything was fine until you concede,” he continued. “And then just look at the mentality. A lack of self-belief came straight through the group again. And I’ve seen that the last three games – all 1-0 defeats and probably with goals roughly conceded about the same state of the game.

“Players got uptight again and stopped doing what they were quite good at. One or two players got a little bit selfish towards the end rather than making better decisions. Trying to do something out of the ordinary when there’s a better decision to put somebody in. That disappoints me. It’s not about the individual, it’s about the team. So very frustrated.”

The Minstermen welcome Leamington in their final home game this weekend before finally wrapping up their league programme at guaranteed play-off outfit Brackley Town seven days later.